Professor suspended for wearing headscarf

Professor suspended for wearing headscarf

Larycia Hawkins. Source: Chicago Tribune

A professor at Christian college in the United States has been placed on leave for wearing a headscarf to show solidarity with Muslims.
Fox News reported that Larycia Hawkins, a Christian and an associate professor of political science at Wheaton College in Chicago, was suspended on Tuesday.
Hawkins, however, defended her action, saying it was a demonstration of her own faith and that she began wearing a hijab to counter “vitriolic” rhetoric against Muslims in recent weeks.
The associate professor said she felt it was important to show solidarity with Muslims who may feel threatened after the terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino in California as well as the call by Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for Muslims to be blocked from entering the US.
“Theoretical solidarity is not solidarity,” the tenured faculty member said.
The college said in a statement Tuesday that it placed her on leave because of statements she made about similarities between Islam and Christianity on social media.
“In response to significant questions regarding the theological implications of statements that Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Larycia Hawkins has made about the relationship of Christianity to Islam, Wheaton College has placed her on administrative leave, pending the full review to which she is entitled as a tenured faculty member,” the statement read.
In its written statement the college said it had “no stated position” on the wearing of headscarves as a gesture of care and concern. But it also said that “overtures of Christian friendship must be enacted with theological clarity as well as compassion.”
The school insists that Hawkins’ suspension doesn’t reflect on her desire to wear the headscarf, but rather the explanation she gave as to why she was wearing the headscarf.
The Chicago Tribune reports Hawkins said on social media that Christians and Muslims share the same God, despite some differences between the religion.
“I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book,” Hawkins wrote on Friday. “And [as] Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.”
While Hawkins had received some support from her colleagues, Denny Burk, a biblical studies professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. told the newspaper that Hawkins didn’t clarify her statement well enough and claimed she denied Christian teachings.
“We’re people of the book, but our books are very different. They’re witnessing to two different ways of salvation. The Bible is witnessing to Jesus Christ, the son of God. That’s unique of all the world religions, and that uniqueness was what I thought was missing from what she said,” Burk added.
Hawkins’ suspension will last through the spring semester and sparked protests on the Wheaton College campus from students who called for her reinstatement, according to the Tribune. Christian leaders also supported Hawkins at a news conference Wednesday.

Hawkins also told the news conference “I affirm the creeds of the church,” and added that she hopes for an amicable resolution with the college.

I’ve no apology kneeling down to worship God – Ooni

I’ve no apology kneeling down to worship God – Ooni

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said he owes nobody any apology for kneeling down to worship God during the thanksgiving service held in his honour at the Paul’s Anglican Church, Ife, after his coronation.
The Ooni said this in statement in Osogbo on Thursday by the Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Ife, Mr. Moses Olafare.
The monarch spoke in reaction to criticisms against him by an online medium that he knelt down to worship God during the church service.
Ogunwusi said it was wrong to equate any king, no matter his status, with the Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth, saying the comment was an attempt to embarrass the throne.
Ogunwusi said since the Almighty God is not Ooni or any king’s mate, he would not stop to worship and revere Him because it was God who enthroned him.
The statement partly read, “It is sacrilege to equate Ooni’risa or other kings to the Almighty God. God is the creator of mankind and it is God that made it possible for the enthronement of any king.                             
“The attention of Ile Oodua has been drawn to a publication released on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 by an online medium, in which His Imperial Majesty, Ooni’risa and Arole Oodua, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), was criticised for bowing to God.
“God remains the highest, the King of kings who has kept all kings alive and has made it possible for me to be crowned as the king of the source of Yoruba civilisation.
“I have no regret whatsoever for kneeling down to exalt the Almighty God, who did not only create me, but also kept me alive, saw me through all the storms in my life journey and eventually crowned me as the custodian of the Oodua race.
“This act of equating me with the God of gods, of the King of kings and the sole owner of the universe is sacrilege planned to embarrass the throne. My emergence as Oba has been made possible only by the Almighty Olodumare, to whom I remain eternally grateful.”

MTN to sue NCC over N1tn fine

MTN to sue NCC over N1tn fine

Ozioma Ubabukoh
The MTN Group on Thursday said it had asked its Nigerian subsidiary not pay the N780bn fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
The NCC had initially fined MTN Nigeria N1.04tn for its failure to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered Subscriber Identification Module cards, but the fine was later reduced by 25 per cent to N780bn upon pleas by the firm.
It said having discovered that the imposition of the fine was not in accordance with the NCC’s powers under the Nigerian Communications Act, there were valid grounds upon which to challenge it.
“Accordingly, MTN has followed due process and has instructed its lawyers to proceed with an action in the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking the appropriate reliefs,” the telecoms firm said in a statement.
The Group Public Affairs Manager, MTN Group, South Africa, Chris Maroleng, signed the statement.
He said that prior to seeking legal redress, “all factors having a bearing on the matter were thoroughly and carefully considered, including a review of the circumstances leading to the fine and the subsequent letters received from the Nigerian Communications Commission.”
“MTN is advised that in the current circumstances in line with the lis pendens rule (pending legal action), the parties are enjoined to restrain from taking further action until the matter is finally determined. This is consistent with previous judicial decisions in Nigeria,” he stated.
Maroleng added that notwithstanding the action, the MTN Group would continue to engage with the Nigerian authorities to try to ensure an amicable resolution in the best interests of the company, its stakeholders and the NCC.
“Shareholders are, therefore, advised to continue to exercise caution when dealing in the company’s securities until a further announcement is made,” he added.
However, the Public Affairs Director, NCC, Tony Ojobo, said the commission had yet to receive any court summons on the matter, adding, “When we get it, the NCC will react appropriately.”
According to him, the court is for everybody and it will serve as an opportunity to test some of Nigeria’s laws.
“The commission is ready for them. When we get the summons, we shall meet them in court,” Ojobo added.

Court orders Kanu’s release, five die as pro-Biafran supporters, soldiers clash

Court orders Kanu’s release, five die as pro-Biafran supporters, soldiers clash

Nnamdi kanu

No fewer than five persons died in Onitsha on Thursday following the wild jubilation that greeted the court judgment, ordering the release of the leader, Independent Peoples of Biafra and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
Twenty persons were also said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries after the supporters reportedly clashed with some soldiers and policemen in the Anambra State commercial city.
According to a source, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, trouble began when soldiers and other security agencies on guard clashed with the pro-Biafran jubilant agitators.
The incident, which occurred at the Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge, reportedly caused panic among motorists and commuters, who fled in different directions to safety.
The IPOB members had, on hearing the court’s verdict ordering Kanu’s release, converged on the location of the statute of the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu in large numbers for a procession.
Their celebration was, however, cut short following the intervention of soldiers and policemen, who arrived at the scene to put them in check.
“When the jubilant IPOB members were asked to stop their match towards the Niger Bridge, the group bluntly refused, and this triggered a disagreement between the traders and IPOB members and later degenerated into violence,” an eyewitness told one of our correspondents.
“It was at this juncture that the soldiers started shooting sporadically, probably in a bid to scare away the crowd of IPOB members, that the five IPOB members were killed by stray bullets.”
In the confusion, motorists and commuters, who could not bear the heavy gunshots, jumped out of their vehicles and ran in different directions.
“The IPOB members threw pebbles at the soldiers, who retaliated by shooting at them,” the source added.
The Chairman of Fundamental Rights League International, Mike Umezulike, condemned the alleged killing, saying the protest of the IPOB members was peaceful, wondering why the soldiers would shoot at them.
Umezulike said, “Do you know that the Naval officers at the Uga Junction always order civilians to frogmarch whenever they commit any minor offence like crossing the expressway without using the pedestrian bridge?
“Sometimes, they will order the offenders to kneel down and carry tyres up and also to climb the electric pole. This is inhuman and an act of wickedness and I believe that their commander may not know the atrocities these officers commit at Uga junction on a daily basis.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ali Okechukwu, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the telephone, said, “Only three are feared dead.”
Okechukwu added that one person was in a critical condition in a military hospital.
The PPRO explained that the military commander in the state had told him that trouble began “when the IPOB members attacked one of his captains”.
In Enugu, members of IPOB and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra took to the streets to celebrate the release of Kanu.
The pro-Biafran agitators, numbering over a thousand, sang solidarity songs as they paraded the streets with Biafran flags in a peaceful rally.
The groups had earlier in November held a rally in Enugu demanding Kanu’s release as well as the recognition of Biafra as an independent country.
Governors of the South-East states had, during a meeting in Enugu, agreed to hold a dialogue with the Federal Government over the renewed pro-Biafran agitation in the region.
In Port Harcourt, some members of MASSOB and IPOB converged on the Olu Obasanjo Road, drumming and chanting Biafra’s ‘Freedom is now’.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had, earlier on Thursday, ordered an unconditional release of Kanu, from the custody of the Department of State Services.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola, in a ruling on Kanu’s bail application, held that his continued detention for about two months without any pending charges against him was in breach of the provisions of Section 34 of the Constitution.
The judge upheld the contention of Kanu’s lawyer, Mr. Vincent Obetta, and set aside an order, which he (the judge) granted the DSS on November 10, 2015, permitting the security agency to keep Kanu in its custody for 90 days.
Earlier on Wednesday, a Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 2 of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, struck out the charges instituted against Kanu by the DSS.
Kanu was arrested on October 14, 2015 in Lagos and arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court in Abuja on October 19.
DSS had, on November 22, applied for the discontinuance of the case before the presiding Chief Magistrate, Shuabu Usman, to enable it to file charges of terrorism and terrorism financing against him in a court with requisite jurisdiction.
But Justice Ademola ruled on Thursday that the continued detention of the pro-Biafran leader for over two months showed that the DSS lacked sufficient material to prosecute him or had yet to make up its mind to do so.
“The respondent does not have enough materials to prosecute the applicant or the respondent has yet to make up its mind to prosecute him.
“While the respondent is pondering, this court holds that the detention of the applicant for more than two months without any pending charges against him is contrary to Section 34 of the Constitution,” he said.
The judge held that the provisions of sections 158, 164 and165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act made the granting of bail to an accused more liberal.
He held that from the facts in the applicant’s supporting affidavit and the counter-affidavit by the DSS, it was obvious that “the state has no sufficient material to prosecute the applicant” and that by admission of the lawyer to the DSS, Mr. Moses Idakwo, “there is no pending charge against him (Kanu)”.
The judge therefore set aside the order of permitting the DSS to keep him in custody for 90 days.
“By the admission of the respondent that there is no pending charge against the applicant, the applicant is hereby released unconditionally,” the judge ruled.
But the judge rejected a prayer by Kanu asking for an order voiding Section 27 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013, which empowers the court to grant an order remanding a terrorism suspect, who is under investigation, for a period of 90 days at the first instance.
The judge noted that such provisions were found in the laws of the United States of America, France and other developed countries.
“The United States, France, etc all have this kind of legislation and there is nothing unusual about it,” Justice Ademola ruled.
Kanu was, however, not released immediately because the process for the release had not been completed, according to his lawyer.

Federal High Court to rule on Kanu’s bail application today

Federal High Court to rule on Kanu’s bail application today

A Federal High Court in Abuja will today (Thursday) rule on an application by the Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, asking for bail.
Kanu, in the application, also wants the court to set aside an order permitting the DSS to remand him for 90 days in the first instance, pending the conclusion of the investigation on terrorism and terrorism financing allegations against him.
A Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 2 of the Federal Capital Territory had on Wednesday struck out the charges instituted against Kanu by the Department of State Services.
The Chief Magistrate, Shuaibu Usman, struck out the charge after he granted the application by the DSS for the discontinuance of the case to enable the Federal Government to prefer its proposed charges of terrorism and terrorism funding against Kanu in the court of requisite jurisdiction.
Kanu was on October 19, 2015 arraigned on charges of criminal conspiracy, managing and belonging to an unlawful society as well as criminal intimidation, offences said to be contrary to Section 97 (a) and (b) and 397 of the Penal Code.
Part of the particulars of the charges against Kanu was that he appointed himself Commander of the Loyal Forces of Biafra and was broadcasting to the whole world the dire consequences the government and people of Nigeria will suffer should they attempt to hinder the actualisation of the Republic of Biafra.
The DSS, through its lawyer, Mr. Moses Idakwo, had on November 22 applied for the discontinuance of the charges against Kanu in line with the provisions of section 108(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 due to what he described as fresh facts in the case which could not be entertained under the magistrate court’s jurisdiction.
Kanu’s lawyers, led by Mr. Jude Aboje, had however opposed the application for discontinuance of the case, demanding that the orders of the court directing the release of the accused from DSS custody must be complied with before the case could be struck out.
Aboje urged the magistrate not to grant the prosecution’s application until the order of the court granting bail to the accused person and the other directing DSS to relinquish custody of the accused person to prison authorities were complied with.
He accused the prosecution of not being diligent enough in the verification of the property presented by the surety for the bail granted his client.
He also accused the DSS of going behind his client to obtain an order from Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja to keep the accused in custody for 90 days through an ex parte application, after the magistrate’s court had earlier granted him (Kanu) bail on October 19.
In response, Idakwo said contrary to the impression created by the defence lawyers, the accused persons had not met the bail conditions imposed by the court, as the DSS was still in the process of verifying the location and worth of the landed property presented by the surety as directed by the court.

Replying on points of law, Idakwo debunked the allegation of secretly obtaining the order of the Federal High Court to keep Kanu in custody, arguing that the law permitted the DSS to apply for such order only through ex parte application.

BREAKING: Appeal Court upholds tribunal’s judgment nullifying Wike’s election

BREAKING: Appeal Court upholds tribunal’s judgment nullifying Wike’s election

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the judgment of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which nullified the election of Nyesom Wike as governor of the state.
The five-man‎ panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice M.B Dongban-Mensen in its judgment dismissed the appeals filed by Wike and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, against the judgment of the tribunal on the grounds that they lacked merit.
‎In the judgment read by the Presiding Justice, Donghan-Messen, the appeal court held that the tribunal was right to have held that the All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate in the April 11, 2015 election, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, had satisfactorily proved their petition that the poll was conducted in substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The appeal court, which resolved all the seven issues formulated in the appeal against the appellants, ‎held that the non-usage of the smart card reader and disregard by officials of INEC in Rivers State on the commission’s directive on the mandatory use of the card reader machine was a direct violation of the Electoral Act.
The appellate court also held that contrary to the contention of Wike and PDP‎, the manual and guidelines issued by INEC for the conduct of the 2015 general election were in conformity with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Wike and the PDP still have the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal had in October nullified the April 11 governorship.
The tribunal had also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election within 90 ‎days.
This followed a petition by the All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, alleging that the election was characterised by widespread electoral malpractices.
In nullifying the election, the Justice Suleiman Ambrosa led-tribunal said the evidence provided by Wike and INEC’s witnesses was not credible.

Wike had, however, challenged the decision of the tribunal with the counsel to the PDP, Chris Uche (SAN), questioning the tribunal’s reliance on accreditation by card readers to nullify the election.

Dasuki, others will abscond if granted bail –EFCC

Dasuki, others will abscond if granted bail –EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has opposed the bail applications filed by the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), and two others before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, where they were on Monday arraigned on 19 counts of misappropriation of about N32bn meant for the purchase of arms.
The prosecution, led by Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), in separate counter-affidavits to the bail applications, said the accused persons could abscond if granted bail by the court.
Those arraigned along with Dasuki, before Justice Yusuf Baba on Monday, are a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, and Aminu Baba-Kusa.
Aminu-Kusa’s two firms – Acacia Holdings Ltd and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited – are also part of the accused.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the 19 counts involving the misappropriation of about N32bn when the charges were read to them on Monday.
Baba-Kusa pleaded not guilty for himself and on behalf of his two firms.
Dasuki was represented by his lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), who is also defending him in his trial of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms, instituted against him before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
While Salisu was represented by Mr. A.U. Mustapha, Baba-Kusa was represented by Ms. Umahani Ali.
The judge adjourned till 12pm on Tuesday for the hearing of the accused persons’ bail applications.
In the counter-affidavit, filed by the EFCC against Dasuki’s application, sighted by our correspondent on Monday, the prosecution stated that “the severity of the punishment upon conviction, which awaits the applicant, is an incentive for him to jump bail.”
The prosecution also opposed his bail application on the grounds that as “a former military officer and a former NSA,” Dasuki had the power to influence witnesses and in effect frustrate his trial.
It added that the accused person was still under investigation for more allegations against him and currently facing other criminal charges before the FCT High Court and the Federal High Court.
The accused persons were led away by the EFCC operatives, who produced them in court earlier in the day.
There is also facing another set of charges involving Dasuki, Salisu, a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa; his son, Sagir Attahiru, and their firm, Dalhatu Investment.
Justice Peter Affe of the same FCT High Court in Maitama, where the case against them was filed, on Monday, granted the EFCC leave to prefer the charges against the accused persons.
The second set of charges involves 22 counts of misappropriation of about N13.651bn meant for the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram in the North-East.
The accused were said to have misappropriated a total of N13.651bn between August, 2013 and May 7, 2015.
In the 19 charges on which Dasuki and others were arraigned on Monday, the EFCC alleged that a former Special Assistant, Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Warimpamowei Dudafa, was on the run for his involvement in the release of N10bn from the NSA office to the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential primary delegates.
They were accused of misappropriating about N32bn between January 13, 2013 and April 17, 2015, amounting to an offence of criminal breach of trust against the provisions of Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, and Section 17 (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.
They were also charged with dishonest receipt of stolen property in breach of sections 97 and 317 of the Penal Code Act as well as receipt of proceeds of criminal conduct in breach of Section 17(b) of the EFCC Act.
Part of the charges in the first set are, “That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser and Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa (now at large), whilst being Senior Special Assistant, Domestic Affairs to the President, on or about November 27, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: the sum of N10bn, being part of the funds in the account of the National Security Adviser with the CBN, the equivalent of which sum you received from the CBN in foreign currencies to wit: $47m and €5.6m (Euros), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you claimed to have distributed same to the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Primary Election delegates and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol.4, LFN 2004.
“That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, between January 22, 2015, and March 19, 2015, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: N2,120,000,000, which was in the account of National Security Adviser with the CBN, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property by remitting the said sum into the account of DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited, controlled by one Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, for the funding of media activities for the 2015 Presidential Election Campaign for the PDP.
“That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, on or about December 12, 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacities entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: N90m, which was in the account of the ONSA with Diamond Bank Plc, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property by remitting the said sum into the account of Brains and Hammers Limited for the purchase of 7-bedroomed duplex house at No.11 Mansur Bamalli Drive (D1064), Apo 1, Abuja.
“That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, on or about January 28, 2015, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacities entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit: N170m, which was in the account of the ONSA with Skye Bank Plc, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property by remitting the said sum into the account of Urban Abode Nigeria Limited for the purchase of 4-bedroomed duplex house at Plot 2562/2643, Platinum Villa, Asokoro, Abuja, in the name of AVM M.N. Umaru.
“That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, between October 19, 2014 and April 17, 2015, in Abuja, dishonestly misappropriated certain property to wit: N1.45bn, belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which sum was transferred to Acacia Holdings Limited’s bank account, controlled by one Aminu Baba-Kusa, purporting same to be payment for organising prayers.
“That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, whilst being National Security Adviser and Shaibu Salisu, whilst being the Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, on or about April 17, 2015, in Abuja, dishonestly misappropriated certain property to wit: N750m, belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which sum was transferred to Reliance Referral Hospital Limited’s bank account in favour of one Aminu Baba-Kusa, purporting same to be payment for organising prayers.